


Insomniac(at)

by katnor



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Caranthir is a cat person, Celegorm speaks to animals, Fluff, Gen, Huan is a softie, Insomnia, Just Add Kittens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 11:18:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11439762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katnor/pseuds/katnor
Summary: Celegorm works at a bar and finds a stray kitten outside one night after work. He brings it home and there is much rejoicing in the household. Except...





	Insomniac(at)

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own them, obviously, but I like to play with them from time to time.

It was just a faint sound, but Celegorm had sharp hearing, even after working the night shift at the local bar. He stopped and cocked his head to one side, trying to pinpoint the direction of the noise. It was a pitiful little cry, and it came from behind the dumpsters in the alley outside the staff entrance. Celegorm moved closer on silent feet, and when he spotted the creature making the sounds, he gasped quietly and hunched down, stretching out a hand very slowly. ”Hey little one, ’m not gonna hurt you, I promise... c’mere, you need food and a warm place to sleep...”, he crooned softly. The kitten’s ears flattened against its tiny skull and it hissed, then tried to scramble back against the wall and instead toppled over. Celegorm’s hand shot out and he caught the creature gently in one big hand. The kitten meowed piteously and struggled briefly, then settled in his hand. 

The silver-haired young man cradled the little cat against his chest, making soothing noises that sounded suspiciously like purring. He tucked the kitten inside his coat and lengthened his steps, wanting to get home quickly. When he unlocked the door to the apartment he shared with two of his younger brothers, he was shivering from the cold, and the kitten had withdrawn completely inside his coat, not even the tufted ears were visible. 

”Hey Tyelko, how was work?” Caranthir’s sleepy voice came from the living room. 

”Shitty as always, what did you expect? Middle-aged businessmen trying to hit on me... middle-aged housewives trying to hit on me... barely legal chicks trying to hit on me... well, that last one wasn’t so bad I guess, but I wasn’t really in the mood.” 

Caranthir barked a laugh. ”My brother, wanted by everyone. Including the husbands of the housewives, and not in a fun way either.” 

”Come take a look at what I found in the alley outside the bar”, Celegorm said. 

Caranthir shuffled into the hallway and gave a soft exclamation of wonder. His normally stern face lit up in a smile, and he reached out with one hand and scratched the tiny creature behind one sail-like ear. ”What a little beauty! But she’s really dirty... and scrawny as hell. We need cat food – no, kitten food – and she needs a bath, badly!” 

”Yeah I know. I was wondering if you could do a quick run down to the 7-Eleven and get some cat litter, some food and toys for her. I’ll try and give her a bath meanwhile.” 

Caranthir grinned. ”I’ll go, but I’d sure love to stay and watch you bathe a cat... there’s no way that can go wrong, is there?” 

Half an hour later, Caranthir returned from his shopping trip to a surprisingly quiet apartment. He put the bags down in the kitchen and hurried to the bathroom, hoping to see a great show with an irritated cat and a drenched Celegorm. Instead, he found his brother drying the kitten with a fluffy towel, crooning softly all the while. The little cat was purring loudly, obviously enjoying itself immensely. He shook his head disbelievingly. Tyelko’s magic touch with animals of all kinds was a source of amazement for all his siblings. 

“I got food and cat litter, a litter box and some toys”, he announced. 

Celegorm looked up with a soft smile on his lips. He got up from the floor, holding the now-clean kitten close to his chest, still wrapped in the towel. “Great! She must be starving, poor little mite. Once she’s eaten, I’ll introduce her to Huan.” 

Caranthir gave him a worried look. “How well do you think that’ll go? What if he sees her as a snack?” Celegorm grinned and shook his head without answering.

The next morning found Caranthir getting up early for work. He made himself coffee and ambled into the living room for his normal routine; checking stock quotes while his coffee cooled to a suitable temperature. To his surprise, he found Huan sleeping on the couch instead of in Celegorm’s room. The hound raised his head and whuffed a greeting, careful not to move too much in case he disturbed the kitten that was sleeping tucked between his immense forepaws. Caranthir fought down the “awwww” that was almost on his lips, but grabbed his phone and snapped a couple of pictures and posted them on Instagram, tagging them with #killerdog and #likecatanddog.

Celegorm woke up to someone pounding on his door. He wrenched it open and gave Curufin a flat stare. “What’s the occasion, soon-to-be-deceased baby brother?” 

Curufin raised an eyebrow and very succinctly said: “Who the hell brought a cat into our apartment? No, scratch that, I _know_ it was you. Who gave you permission to adopt a flea-ridden stray and leave it sleeping on our living room couch, shedding hair everywhere?” 

Celegorm groaned. “She doesn’t have fleas, in fact, she’s probably cleaner than both you and me, since I gave her a bath last night. She’s also a kitten, they don’t shed until they’re grown up.” 

“I don’t like cats.” 

“What _do_ you like? I’m talking living beings now, not flow charts and electronics.” Curufin opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again. 

“I’m taking care of her”, Celegorm informed him. “I’ll make sure she is fed, clean and happy, and not shedding hair on your belongings. Moryo is going to help me. If you don’t like it, that’s too bad. You’re not allergic, so don’t try that.” 

Curufin muttered something under his breath, then growled: “Fine. I expect you to keep it away from my room at all times. I have things I’m working on that are not cat toys, so if it gets in there and is electrocuted, don’t blame me.” He stomped off with his nose in the air. Celegorm scowled, then pursed his mouth thoughtfully. _Now that was distinctly un-Curvolike. He gave up just like that? No more arguments? Huh. Never thought I’d see the day._

Celegorm had the day off, so he spent most of it playing with the kitten and Huan, snapping pictures of the two of them every so often and posting them on Facebook. When Caranthir got home from work, they made dinner together, and even managed to talk Curufin into joining them at the table. Afterwards, the brothers drifted into the living room and lounged there a while, drinking beer and playing cards. Well, obviously Curufin did neither, he stuck to his over-priced bottled water and a book, but they were at least in the same room. When Celegorm looked up from their game, he noticed the kitten was curled up on the couch next to Curufin, who was absently stroking her head. When he noticed Celegorm looking, he quickly withdrew his hand and stood, announcing he was going to bed. Celegorm hid a grin. “You sure you don’t want to bring Nienna along? That purr of hers is really calming.” He got a murderous glance in reply, and the door slammed shut.

Early next morning, Caranthir was awakened by Celegorm’s low voice at his door: “Moryo, you have got to see this… but keep quiet!” Puzzled, he got up and padded behind Celegorm to Curufin’s room. The door was ajar, and the brothers peered inside. Curufin was sound asleep, which was a rarity, since he suffered from severe insomnia. The kitten was curled up on the pillow next to his head, purring contently. They both looked very much at peace.

**Author's Note:**

> Celegorm loves animals, this much is canon. My headcanon says Caranthir does too, at least cats. Curvo... well. Suffice to say I think he might be a closet cat lover, but he'd never admit to it outright.


End file.
